DADAAB, KENYA: Two hand grenades were Thursday evening recovered from a refugee in Dadaab refugee camp in a police operation.

The grenades are believed to have been hidden for attacks on security agents. The recovery was made before an explosion hit a police vehicle in the same area injuring three officers.

Police say they were tipped off and recovered the explosives from a man who was arrested.

North Eastern police boss Charlton Mureithi said they have intensified operations in the area in efforts to recover several illegal weapons that are being used to attack security and humanitarian officials.

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“We are determined to address this problem but the locals must also co-operate because these criminals are living with them,” he said.

Police had earlier on shot dead a known bandit leader in another raid and recovered one AK47 rifle with 205 rounds of ammunition, eight AK47 magazines, a jungle uniform and a pouch.

Police identified the suspect as Ibrahim Hassan Ali who is known to be a bandit in the area. His accomplices managed to escape as police approached the scene.

Three police officers were Thursday night injured when an explosion hit their vehicle within Ifo refugee camp in Dadaab.

Police say the explosion was followed by a barrage of fire directed at the vehicle. Police say an Improvised Explosive Devise was used in the attack and that the injured officers are in a stable condition.

The incident is the latest to target security officials in the camp and the larger North Eastern area since the Kenyan troops crossed to Somalia in October 2011 to hunt for the Al Shabaab militants.

Dozens of police officers have been killed and others wounded in separate attacks targeting them.